Casting plant



No. 6|8,447. Patented lan. 3|, I899.

M. M. SUPP'ES.

CASTING PLANT.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W Z/NVENTOB TTOHNEY.

we NcRms FETERS co. Pnmuumod wxsrlmarun. n. c

W/TNESSES M a". Z

Ncl. 6|8,4 47. Pa'tented Jan. 3|, I899.

M. M.- SUPPES.

CASTING PLANT.

(Application filed Mar. 5, 1897.)

(No Model.) 2- Sheets-Sheet 2.

o '5 a s L\ 1 O *5; B 6g 3;

TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES MAXIMILIAN M. SUPPES, OF LORAIN, OHIO.

PATENT Z'FFICE.

CASTING PLANT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,447, dated January31, 1899.

Application filed March 5, 1897. Serial No. 626,108. (No model.) V

To all whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, MAXIMILIAN M. SUPPEs, of Lorain, Lorain county,Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMetal-Casting, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide apparatus for the casting ofmetal which shall lessen the waste, reduce the cost both of theapparatus and of running expenses, reduce the amount of space required,and enable the casting to proceed with as few as possible of thosedelays which arise from breakdowns.

My invention is particularly adapted for the casting of blast-furnaceproducts and is intended to supersede the large casting-yard which hasbeen usually provided hitherto; and my invention consists in theprovision of a novel form of casting-bed composed of moldcarrying carsabutting to form a continuous casting-bed and in the provision ofvarious other apparatus to cooperate with the casting-bed, as will bemore fully set forth here-' inafter.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in section, of theladle, metal reservoir and runner, and mold-carrying car. Fig. 2 shows alongitudinal vertical section of the mold-carrying car with the runnerin position thereover. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mold-carrying car.Fig. 4 is a plan view of the metal reservoir and runner. Figs. 5 and 6are respectively side and end views of a crane-harness. Fig. 7 is adiagrammatical view illustrative of the general utility of my invention.

A represents one of the ladles adapted to receive the molten metal fromthe furnace and is mounted upon a suitable truck. The metal is pouredfrom A into my improved metal reservoir and runner B.

13 comprises a metal-reservoir B swiveled at 1) upon the stand B, whichis placed between the'track 1 and the casting-track 2. Themetal-reservoir B is located so as to receive the metal from the ladleA, while the runner B is adapted to extend over the top of thecasting-car O or be thrown away from over the track to allow the passageof a'locomotive or to permit uninterrupted repairs. The runner B hasspouts 1), b b b and b adapted to rapidly deliver the metal from therunner to the molds, as hereinafter pointed out.

O is a mold-carrying car carrying the bed 0', which I prefer to divideinto a plurality of sections 0 each having several open molds m m. Thesesections are secured together,- as by bolts h h, so that any section maybe readily renewed.

O (l are hooks by which the car may be lifted. They are secured tomembers which are adapted to slide longitudinally be neath the bed 0, soas not to prevent the beds of different cars from being pushed together.

O is an undercut hook having the counterweighted end 0 pivoted about apin 0 and having a stop 0 to limit its movement. It is adapted to couplewith pin 0 at the end of the next car. By this arrangement when the carsare pushed the ends of the mold-beds abut, but when they are pulled theyauto matically couple, and space is left between the beds to adapt thecars to travel on curves.

During the casting operation it is intended that the cars bepushed,'preferably by a locomotive geared for low speed or a powercable.By doing this the metal from the ladle A is poured continuously into themetalreservoir B thence passing continuously through the runner B andspouts 1), b b b and 19 into the molds m m of a continuous anduniformly-moving casting-bed.

By the arrangement of spouts shown. I am enabled to pour very quickly,for while the spout b is filling one of the molds at the farther side ofthe car I) and b are each filling a mold in the center section of thecar and b and b are filling corresponding molds at the side of the carnearest to the metal-reservoir B By adjusting the inclination of thelips and the runner at their proper relative angles the molds will fillat a substantially uniform rate.

It will be seen that I am enabled to cast the product of a number offurnaces in a small space, as the cars may be drawn away from thecast-house as soon as they are filled.

I do not provide cumbersome or expensive apparatus, such as machineshaving rotary casting-beds, and it is therefore practicable to supplyspares for all parts of the system, thus reducing delays to the minimum.

At the end of the casting process the cars may be taken at once towhatever part of the plant they are to be unloaded.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I show the harness F,which I prefer to use forunloading the cars. This comprises an eye F, adapted to engage a hook onthe crane-chain, a cross-beam F pivoted to the eye, depending rods F Fpivoted to the cross-beam, carrying between them pins F F adapted toengage the books 0 C and lift the entire car. Secured to the rods F F isthe angle -iron F through which passes the key Ffl-engaging a recess inthe casting-car. This key may be removed from the recess by a pull ofthe cranemans chain F acting on the lever F WVhen the key is thusremoved, the car, being top-heavy when loaded, dumps its load and thenswings back to its normal position. The key prevents the unloading ofthe car until desired.

The diagram shown in Fig. 7 illustrates the advantages of my invention.A ladle is shown on track 1. The casting-cars are on track 2, beingpushed by the geared locomotive G. On the loop 3 of the crane-track 3 aportable crane is shown in the act of lifting a mold-carrying car fromtrack 2 to dump its metal into the stock-yard. A crane on track 3 isdumping the metal from a castingcar to a fiat-car E on track 4:.

It is evident that traveling cranes may be used instead of portableones.

I desire to be understood as not limiting myself to the specific detailsof construction and arrangement which I have shown and described, for itis clear that my invention is broader than the specific embodiment whichI have disclosed, so that modifications which are Within the scope ofthe appended claims will readily suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art.

My invention may be advantageously used for casting other products thanthose of the blast-furnace, and I do not, therefore, restrict myself tosuch use.

What I claim, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

bed movable along said parallel track, and a plurality of rotatablemetal-reservoirs located between the said tracks and each having ahorizontal runner secured thereto and adapted to extend over saidcasting-bed.

3. In a casting plant, the combination of a horizontal track, a ladlemovable along said track, a second track parallel with saidfirstmentioned track, a plurality of mold-carryin g cars abutting eachother to form a continuous casting-bed, and movable along said secondtrack, a metal-reservoir between said tracks and a horizontal runnersecured thereto and extending above the said casting-bed.

4. In a casting plant, the combination of a horizontal track, a ladlemovable along said track, a second track parallel with saidfirstmentioned track, a plurality of mold-carrying cars abutting eachother to form a continuous casting-bed and movable along said secondtrack, a rotatable metal-reservoir between said tracks and a horizontalrunner secured thereto and extending above the said castingbed.

5. In a casting plant, the combination of a horizontal track, a ladlemovable along said track, a second track parallel with saidfirstmentioned track, a plurality of. mold-carrying cars abutting eachother to form a continuous casting-bed and movable along said secondtrack, a plurality of fixed stands between said tracks, ametal-reservoir vertically swiveled to each stand and a horizontalrunnersecured to each reservoir and adapted to extend above saidcasting-bed.

6. The combination of a horizontal track and a ladle movable along saidtrack, a second track and a plurality of detached cars which abut toform the casting-bed having three parallel series of disconnected moldsmovable along said second track,a fixed stand carrying a rotatablereservoir, adjacent to said castingbed, and ahorizontal runner connectedwith said reservoir and having independent spouts for each of the threeseries of molds.

'7. A mold-carrying car having lifting-pins extending beyond the end ofthe mold but adapted to be moved entirely beneath said mold and having acoupling device which antomatically connects adjacent cars when the carsare separated but passes freely under adjacent cars when the cars arepushed toward each other.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

MAXIMILIAN M. SUPPES.

Witnesses:

JAMEs CALDERWooD, G. M. FERGUSON.

